of memphis



EQEERT G.

pin worm holes, streaks, 40"

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE:

BRUCE, or MEMPHIs, TENNESSEE, AssIGnoa rro E; 1.3mm COMPANY,

OF MEMPHIS TENNESSEE, A CORPORATIQIN OF DELAWARE o cLhs'siEYmG wool): ritoDUorrs No Drawing.

My invention relates to amethod of classifying Wood products. Articles made of wood may have a finishing coat applied to them of a ,more 'or less transparent character, such as varnish, shellac, waterproof composition,"

the finishing coat.

The trouble, however, with this method of classifying-wood products is that the same finishing coat may affect wood products of apparently the same quality, degree.

I have possible from a manufacturing standpoint to classify wood products on the basis of their finished condition, as to appearance and quality, before the finishing coat has been applied. In this way,.I avoid the mistake of placing together in any composite article,

'7 pieces of wood that will have different appearances in the finished article. I also avoid classifying a piece of wood in the wrong grade. 7

In order to more fully explain myinvention, I will particularly describe its utility, by way of example, in connection with wood flooring.

Wood flooring strips are classified according to two standards. One is referred to as grading and the other as matching or contrasting. I

Grading is done on the basis of the defects that the material contains, such as sapwood,

slight imperfections in working, knots, etc. The appearance of these defects in the finished floor is different than it is when the floor is in the white.

By applying something to the surface of the wood that causes it to approximate its finished appearance, it is possible to grade the stock from the standpoint of defects more intelligently than can be done when the wood is in the white. Certain defects in the wood are minimized by the finish, while other defects are made more prominent, although the meaning that the wood was in acondition substantially ready for to a difierent discovered that it is desirable and- Appli cation filed January 31, 19291. Serial No. 336,661.

latter arerelatively few. This permits rais-- ing the'grade of the stock somewhat and also produces, from a finished standpoint, a graded stock that is moreuniform in character-than can be otherwise obtained.

Matching, or contrasting one pieceof wood i with another, is done on the basis of thecolor, 1 grain and texture of the wood. By color is meant-the tone or shade of the stock and not the color that is referred'to in speaking of m;- red orwhit'e oak. 'Bv. matching'the stock under conditions whichsimulate' the finished product, it is possible to more closely and'ac curately classify the wood onthi's-basis.

Wood floors that are uniform in color, tone 1; or shade areconsidcred so superiorthat an extra charge is usually made for selecting: such stock as will match in this way, and wood that naturally is uniform in color brings a premium in the market. The selection, how-' 7 ever, has usually been made from the standpoint of flooring in the white, rather than from itsultimate finished appearance in the floor and'after thecustomary floor finishing operations. The flooring finishing opera- 75 tions, however,produce such achange in the appearance of the wood, when matched in the "white, as to appreciably offset or diminish the sought for uniformityv of the floor when finals I 1y finished. 1 1 On the other hand, there, is a growing appreciation of contrast by certain architects and interior decorators that makes itdesirable to secure these contrasts .ona better basis than can be accomplished wherev wood is 81 graded and matchedfin the white. I 'My invention, while not limited to classifying wood flooring, is particularly applica-' ble for that purpose,"both'forstrip flooring and in the manufacture of blocks that are to belater laid in various designs of'parquetry: p The invention has alsobeen-foundto be particularly useful in connection with the manufacture of flooring that is subjected to a waterproofing composition whichjcontains a paraffin base and various oils. The effectof this treatmentis to sort of'darken the wood.

If the strips are graded andmatched or contrasted for color in the white. they will not similarly match or' contrast after they have been subjected to the waterproofing treatment and then sanded, scraped and finished after being laid. I have discovered that the best results can be obtained if the wood is graded and matched under conditions where it will have to a greater or less eX- tent, the appearance of the piece in the finished floor.

Various ways are possible of treating the wood to simulate its appearance in the finished condition. WVhen the wood is to be subjected to the aforesaid waterproofing treatment, it is touched on the whole or a part of the surface with some .of the waterproofing composition and then immediately classified. This can be done by using a felt roll that is wet with some of the composition and merely applying some of the composition to the finished .surface of the flooring strips. On account of the small amount of the composition that is applied to the surface, there is no permanent .discoloration of the wood after the composition has dried.

Somewhat the same results can be accomplished if the surface of the wood is wet, merely with water, in a similar manner. The effect of wetting, for instance, the surface of an oak strip is to give to it a darker shade, comparable to that in the finished floor.

This manner of classifying wood flooring maybe employed :even when the floor is not to be treated with a waterproofingcomposition, but is to be merely subjected to the customary finishing operations after the floor is laid.

Instead of classifying the flooring before treating with the waterproofing composition, I may do so after the full treatment with .the composition. Classifying in this manner is somewhat more imperfect from the standpoint of blemishes or defects which are of a color character. The dark color of the treating composition has a tendency to cover up such defects which might be overlooked in classifying, yet would be exposed after the flooring was laid and had been sanded for finishing. However, I consider this mannerof classifying as being within the scope of my invention.

From the above it will be clear that my invention contemplates classifying wood products by the manufacturer from the standpoint of the finished article and that with this end in view the wood is classified under conditions such as to produce, in effect and to an extent that is desirable, the appearance of the finished article.

The invention is particularly applicable in connection with the manufacture of fabricated wood blocks composed of a plurality of short strips keyed together. In such floors, the grain of adjacent blocks are at right angles to each other, with the result that contrasted light efiects are more pronounced than .the product according to the appearance of the surface that has been wet.

2. The method of classifying flooring strips that are to be subjected to a waterproofing impregnating composition, comprising wetting the surface of the strip and then classifying the strip in accordance with the appearance of the wet part of the strip.

3. The method of classifying flooring strips that are to be subjected to a waterproofing impregnating composition comprisingwetting the surface of the strip with some of the composition and then classifying the strip in accordance with the appearance of the part of the strip that has been wet.

In testimony whereof I affix myusignature.

R. G. BRUCE.

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